Bike Share Schemes continue to evolve and grow around the world. Our industry is changing rapidly and we like to stay on top of Bike Share news. Across the transport industry, the status quo is being challenged every day and in Bike Share Schemes new models are being developed and new schemes are being deployed all of the time.

Here is a round-up of some key news, we see shaping the future of Bike Share Schemes:

European Bike Share Availability Set to Double by 2025

According to analysts Frost & Sullivan, cities will increasingly turn to Bike Share Schemes as they seek to tackle the issue of rising emissions and poor air quality in major cities across Europe. Due to the high cost of setting up and running such schemes, a sponsorship model is likely to help meet these costs, enabling companies from a range of industries to get involved in the Bike Share Scheme market.

Mobike, Chinese Bicycle Sharing Start-up, Wins Additional Investment

Chinese bicycle-sharing start-up Mobike has announced additional funding, bringing its total new funding in 2017 to more than $300 million. This is in addition to the $215 million and an undisclosed investment from Foxconn last month, in an effort to double the number of bikes it produced last year to 10 million in 2017.

Mobike allows users to find, ride and pay for company bicycles scattered throughout 21 Chinese cities using an app and QR codes and is one of two Chinese bike-sharing start-ups that have raised hundreds of millions in funding since the beginning of 2016.

The Best and Worst of Bike Share Schemes

The UK’s Guardian newspaper has ranked the best and worst Bike Share Schemes globally based on cost, ease of access, bikes, docking stations and overall experience. It found the most affordable Bike Share Scheme in Hangzhou, China with an annual fee of £20. The article notes that the best Bike Share Scheme in the world is “…probably a toss-up between Hangzhou in China and Dublin in Ireland, although Vienna’s and Washington DC’s schemes win plaudits, while the Netherlands wins on transport integration.”

New Bike Share Scheme Launched in Singapore as Competition Grows

Chinese company ofo has launched a Bike Share Scheme in Singapore with an initial fleet of 1,000 bikes. This comes after Obike, a Singapore-based start-up with both local and Chinese investors launched in January. Obike has said it plans to deploy tens of thousands of bikes in Singapore.

Singapore’s Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) will also be launching a Bike Share Scheme in the fourth quarter of this year. Each scheme will be challenged to deliver an optimal customer experience to ensure that consumers choose their scheme and create customer loyalty.

M&A – Motivate and 8D Merger

The Motivate and 8D merger demonstrates that our industry is maturing. Motivate, one of the largest Bike Share operators in the world, is teaming up with hardware and software provider 8D Technologies to grow innovation in Bike Share Schemes. 8D Technologies provides turnkey solutions that include bike key dispensers, bike docks, bike locking mechanisms, and efficient power management.

“Bringing Motivate and 8D together will accelerate bike share innovation and bolster our ability to revolutionize the landscape of cities,” said Jay Walder, President and CEO of Motivate and the combined companies.

Stage Intelligence plays a central role in Bike Share Schemes. We use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to simplify Bike Share Scheme management and ensure that operators are able to optimise distribute bikes across their schemes.